Cats

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Q: My cat meows at me when I talk to him. Why do cats meow back when you talk to them? Is that normal?

Cats were sacred in Ancient Egypt, and the color black was associated with fertility and resurrection.   So, black cats were especially revered, and their resemblance to the powerful goddess Bastet—often portrayed with the head of a lioness or a black domestic cat—further elevated their status.  Some devoted cat lovers went so far as to offer mummified cats in her honor, and many were mummified alongside their furry companions so they could remain together in the afterlife, according to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.  ,All cats are worthy of love, whether orange and fluffy, sleek and hairless, or gray and floofy. But there’s something undeniably special about black cats.   In fact, the world has been so captivated by them for centuries that myths abound—some magical, some misguided, and some fascinating.  But there’s more to these mini panthers than meets the eye. Here are 11 facts about black cats that might just surprise you. 

Reviewed and updated for accuracy on July 30, 2018 by Katie Grzyb, DVM. As a species, cats are known for their grace, agility and athleticism. However, there is one physical feat with which many cats have struggled—getting down after they climb a tree. Why does a cat climbing a tree have so much trouble descending? Why Do Cats Climb Trees in the First Place? Katenna Jones, an associate certified applied animal behaviorist, certified cat behavior consultant and owner of Jones Animal Behavior in Warwick, Rhode Island, says that cats are an interesting species from a behavioral perspective because they can be predators to small creatures while being vulnerable to larger animals. “You see behaviors at both ends of the predator/prey spectrum. So, as skilled hunters, they may chase their prey up a tree without realizing what they’ve gotten themselves into. On the other side of the coin, cats tend to go high when they feel threatened. So if a cat feels his life is in danger, he would very likely run up a tree, which offers safety and a vantage point,” explains Jones. That said, Jones notes that looking too deeply into a cat’s reasons for climbing a tree might be a moot point. “Cats may also climb trees because they can and it’s fun,” she says.

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At first, Sir Darius just wore his bow ties himself. (He still does, by the way—”Everywhere I go, I make sure I wear my bow ties,” he says.) But in 2017, when Hurricanes Harvey and Irma struck, he realized his creations had a higher purpose. Watching the news, he says, “I kept seeing people getting helped, but I didn’t see animals getting helped at all. I asked myself, how come the people are getting helped, but not the animals?” Then he heard a report of animals being rescued and transferred from Texas to the ASPCA in New York City. “I thought to myself, what if I use my passion for making bow ties to help the dogs and cats find their forever loving homes?” Since then, Sir Darius estimates he’s made and donated nearly 400 bow ties to animals in need, with plans to donate another 300 this August alone. In addition to the ASPCA in New York City, he’s mailed them to shelters all across the U.S., from Virginia and Pennsylvania to Illinois and Michigan. He’s even sent bow ties to shelters in the United Kingdom. Sir Darius also posts photos of shelter pets wearing his bow ties to his Instagram page, advocating for their adoption to his more than 60,000 followers.,Shelter pets wait patiently every day for loving parents to adopt them into their forever homes—and looking their best never hurts! Enter 13-year-old Sir Darius Brown of Newark, New Jersey, who’s adding swag to shelter pets’ wags all across the country. Sir Darius has turned bow ties into a lifesaving tool for shelter animals, sewing and donating nearly 400 of the fashionable accessories since 2017 to help shelter animals get noticed and adopted more quickly. And along the way, he’s earned praise from former President Barack Obama and the British government, among many others. “A bow tie, in particular, just gives off that certain something,” Sir Darius says. “It has this distinction that helps the person pop out. So I felt like the bow tie might give off happiness or some dapperness for the animals to help them get adopted.”

It’s estimated that 48 percent of cat parents do not take their feline pets to the vet for an annual visit. To those of us who have coaxed an “I know something’s up” fearful kitty out from under a bed and into a carrier only to be treated to plaintive howls and hisses all the way to a vet appointment, the “why” is maybe no big mystery. But a yearly visit (more often for kittens and older cats) to a veterinarian is a non-negotiable for your pet’s good health and wellbeing. This is especially essential for cats, a species that can be skilled at hiding potentially deadly diseases and illnesses. Fortunately, this gotta-do-it appointment doesn’t have to devolve into who can cry louder—you or your cat. Start right now learning a few insider tips and tricks for taking a cat to the vet (and maybe a few for you, the human, too), and your next trip will be the cat’s meow.

All cats are unique, but there’s just something extra special about polydactyl cats. These felines have a genetic mutation that gives them a distinctive look—extra toes, that is.   Wondering what makes these cats who they are? Here are seven fun facts about polydactyl cats.  

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